Flavor generation device

Abstract

A flavor generation article including a pipe incorporating a heat reservoir and a formed body serving as a flavor generation medium. The pipe is inserted in an insertion hole of a connection plug, and the connection plug is mounted in a mount hole of a socket. The socket has first and second terminals respectively connected to the two terminals of a power supply. The heat reservoir and formed body in the pipe are heated by a coil heater disposed in the connection plug. When the heater maintains a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time, a projection of the mount hole is thermally deformed to be retreated. The connection plug is moved from a mount position by the action of the potential-restoration force of a coil spring and projects from a mount hole integrally with the pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A flavor generation device comprising: a casing having an air intake port for taking in air into said casing and a suction port through which a user inhales the flavor, and forming a gas flow path between said air intake port and said suction port;   a flavor generation medium disposed in said casing to be exposed to said gas flow path and containing a flavor component, said flavor generation medium emitting said flavor component upon being heated; and   a heat reservoir disposed in said casing to accumulate heat energy and heat said flavor generation medium with heat energy, wherein   said casing has a heat conduction wall made of a heat-resistant heat-conductive material and is arranged to surround said heat reservoir, and a heat-insulating wall made of a heat-insulating material, said heat conduction wall being disposed between said air intake port and said heat insulating wall, and said heat insulating wall being disposed between said heat conduction wall and said suction port.   
     
     
       2. The flavor generation device according to claim 1, wherein said flavor generation medium comprises a formed body of a solid material containing said flavor component and is arranged adjacent to said heat reservoir. 
     
     
       3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a heat-insulating cover slidably mounted on said casing to selectively cover said heat conduction wall. 
     
     
       4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising a spring configured to provide said cover with a biasing force toward a position at which said cover covers said heat conduction wall. 
     
     
       5. A flavor generation device comprising: (a) an external heating mechanism including   an insertion hole for accepting and heating an elongated body, and   a heater disposed along said insertion hole; and   (b) a flavor generation article detachably inserted in said insertion hole of said external heating mechanism, said flavor generation article comprising   an incombustible casing having an air intake port for taking in air into said casing and a suction port through which a user inhales the flavor, and forming a gas flow path between said air intake port and said suction port,   a flavor generation medium disposed in said casing to be exposed to said gas flow path and containing a flavor component, said flavor generation medium emitting said flavor component upon being heated, and   a heat reservoir disposed in said casing to accumulate heat energy and heat said flavor generation medium with the heat energy, said heat reservoir being arranged to receive the heat energy from said heater when said flavor generation article is inserted in said insertion hole of said external heating mechanism.   
     
     
       6. The flavor generation device according to claim 5, wherein said flavor generation medium comprises a formed body of a solid material containing said flavor component and is arranged adjacent to said heat reservoir. 
     
     
       7. The flavor generation device according to claim 5, wherein said heater comprises an electric heater. 
     
     
       8. The device according to claim 5, wherein said casing has a heat conduction wall made of a heat-resistant heat-conductive material and arranged to be heated by said heater of said external heating mechanism, and a heat-insulating wall made of a heat-insulating material, said heat conduction wall being arranged between said air intake port and said heat-insulating wall, and said heat-insulating wall being arranged between said heat conduction wall and said suction port. 
     
     
       9. The device according to claim 5, further comprising a mechanism configured to correlate an attaching/detaching operation of said flavor generation article in/from said insertion hole of said external heating mechanism and an on/off operation of said electric heater. 
     
     
       10. A flavor generation device comprising: (a) an external power supply mechanism including   an insertion hole for accepting and heating an elongated body, and   first and second terminals connected to a power supply and arranged in said insertion hole; and   (b) a flavor generation article detachably inserted in said insertion hole of said external power supply mechanism, said flavor generation article comprising   an incombustible casing having an air intake port for taking in air into said casing and a suction port through which a user inhales the flavor, and forming a gas flow path between said air intake port and said suction port,   a flavor generation medium disposed in said casing to be exposed to said gas flow path and containing a flavor component, said flavor generation medium emitting said flavor component upon being heated,   a heat reservoir disposed in said casing to accumulate heat energy and heat said flavor generation medium with the heat energy,   an electric heater disposed in said casing to supply the heat energy to said heat reservoir, and   first and second electric contacts exposed outside said casing and serving as circuit terminals of said electric heater, said first and second electric contacts coming into contact with said first and second terminals, respectively, when said flavor generation article is inserted in said insertion hole of said external heating mechanism.   
     
     
       11. The flavor generation device according to claim 10, wherein said flavor generation medium comprises a formed body of a solid material containing said flavor component and is arranged adjacent to said heat reservoir. 
     
     
       12. The device according to claim 11, wherein said formed body is arranged to be detachably disposed in said casing, and to surround said heat reservoir and said electric heater. 
     
     
       13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said heat reservoir comprises a hollow body in which said electric heater is disposed. 
     
     
       14. The device according to claim 12, wherein said electric heater comprises a coil heater which is wound around said heat reservoir. 
     
     
       15. A flavor generation device comprising: a casing having an air intake port for taking air into said casing and a suction port through which a user inhales the flavor, and forming a gas flow path between said air intake port and said suction port;   a flavor generation medium disposed in said casing to be exposed to said gas flow path and containing a flavor component, said flavor generation medium emitting said flavor component upon being heated, said flavor generation medium including a formed body of a solid material containing said flavor component;   a heat reservoir disposed in said casing to accumulate heat energy and heat said flavor generation medium with heat energy; and   an electric heater disposed in said casing to supply heat energy to said heat reservoir wherein said formed body is arranged adjacent to said heat reservoir to be detachably disposed in said casing, and to surround said heat reservoir and said electric heater.   
     
     
       16. The device according to claim 15, further comprising a power supply configured to sup-ply electrical energy to said electric heater. 
     
     
       17. The device according to claim 15, wherein said heat reservoir comprises a hollow body in which said electric heater is disposed. 
     
     
       18. The device according to claim 15, wherein said electric heater comprises a coil heater which is wound around said heat reservoir.